


Growing Seasons

by rosewaterwinter



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Age difference (nothing crazy), Alcohol, Break Up, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Harvey needs more love, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, how do I tag things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2020-04-07 16:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosewaterwinter/pseuds/rosewaterwinter
Summary: At 22 years old, Summer moves to Pelican Town to start a new life. Within the year, she finds herself in a relationship with Sam, the charming boy next door. But as the seasons change and she continues to grow and find her way, Summer realizes she isn’t quite sure what it is she’s looking for.After a year and a half in the valley, Summer makes the time to forge new bonds with some of the town’s residents, and soon finds herself forming an unexpected friendship with a certain Doctor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let it be known that there is a game mod that features a VERY attractive Harvey without his mustache (I won't name it since it isn't mine), and that is 100% what I'm imagining here, but... to each their own! If you want to picture that mustache, go right ahead.
> 
> This is my first fic I'm posting here, and it's absolutely just something I wanted to write for me. No idea how long it will be, no idea when I'll update (hopefully once every 2-weeks, give or take), no idea what I'm doing, but.... hopefully someone enjoys it!

**_Sam:_ ** _Hey babe, are you free tonight?_

 

Summer set her phone down on her nightstand and rolled to face the wall, pulling the covers over her head. She laid there in resigned silence, unwilling to _exist_ until a furry lump of housecat thunked down next to her.

 

The tabby ungracefully stepped directly onto her rib cage, eliciting a surprised grunt that was soon followed by a genuine giggle. Summer poked her head out from under the blankets and did her best to glare at the orange ball of fluff, but soon lost her grumpy expression to a grin as the purring picked up like a motor engine.

 

“Alright kitty, I'm awake.” She indulged the cat in a few head scratches, stretching slightly as she prepared to rise from bed.

 

Summer slowly stood, her eyes glancing over to her phone. She knew she should respond to Sam, but truthfully she didn't even want to think about it. She let her thoughts shift to the busy morning of farmwork she had ahead of her, throwing her auburn hair into a messy bun and ignoring the pang of guilt that sat in the back of her mind.

 

————

 

A year and a half earlier, Summer had quit her desk job at Joja Corporation and moved to Pelican Town. Her grandfather had left her his farm in his will, and though Summer had done her best to stick it out at her job (she was fairly successful for someone in her early 20’s and had quickly been making her way up the corporate ladder) she knew she craved something different. Her daydreams of childhood summers on her grandfather’s farm began to take up more and more of her time, and with each passing day she felt more and more out of place at the office. She resigned from her Joja Corp position at the end of winter, leaving herself just enough time to move to the valley before the new spring… but not enough time to rethink the decision.

 

When the first spring arrived, she became Pelican Town’s newest resident. The townspeople welcomed her openly, and she spent her first season trying to find her place in the small community. Well, that, and learning how to cultivate crops. And… learning how to run a farm in general.

 

One Wednesday morning, Summer found herself making her way back to her farm from Pierre’s with a basket of strawberries still in her hands. She cursed at herself for forgetting that the general store would be closed, but really, who took Wednesdays off anyway?

 

Passing through town, she spotted a girl with brassy orange hair, Pam’s daughter, sitting contentedly under a tree. The girl — what was her name? Peggy? No, Penny! That was it — was around her age. Summer toyed with the idea of stopping to say hi. She hadn’t made many friends yet, and Penny seemed sweet. As she approached, she noticed that the girl had a book in her hands, and was completely absorbed in whatever she was reading. Summer decided she wouldn’t interrupt her, until she caught sight of the book’s spine —

 

She let out a small gasp, slightly startling Penny.

 

“Is that Pride and Prejudice?”

 

Penny blushed furiously, ducking her head. “Y.. yes.”

 

“Is this your first time reading it?”

 

Penny looked up slightly, her bright green eyes meeting Summer’s face with a curiosity tinged with timidness. “Yes, it is. I’ve never read it before.”

 

Summer grinned widely. “I won’t spoil it for you, but isn’t Mr. Darcy kind of a dream?”

 

Penny looked taken aback, but Summer continued anyway. “I know he takes some warming up to, but come on — you can’t tell me you wouldn’t love to be courted by someone like him!” She curtsied in Penny’s direction with mock-grace.

 

Penny blinked for a moment, then broke down in a fit of giggles. “You’re right. I can’t say I wouldn’t.”

 

Summer laughed with her, taking a seat on the grass by her side. “Well, you have to be the first to let me know if anyone in Pelican Town matches his description.” She extended her basket to Penny. “Strawberry?”

 

————

 

Summer wiped the sweat from her brow and stared out at the field. Fall was starting soon, and there was no shortage of work to be done. She had spent most of the day harvesting radishes and red cabbage, and she still wanted to make sure that her sunflowers were in good enough shape to make it through the change of seasons. Then there was the matter of clearing any field debris…

 

She looked up at the sky, guessing it was far past lunchtime. While Summer did have the legitimate excuse of farmwork, she couldn’t help but feel bad about not replying to Sam’s text. She sighed heavily, trudging back towards her farmhouse.

 

Once inside, she busied herself with everything but checking her phone. Summer refilled the cat’s food and water dishes, got herself a drink, and washed her face. She was stalling, but she couldn’t help but try and justify her actions to herself. The chores were all important. Why not do them sooner rather than later?

 

When she finally ran out of tasks for herself, she reluctantly picked up her phone. There were several new messages from the last few hours.

 

 **_Sam:_** _I was wondering if you wanted to meet at the saloon tonight?_

 **_Sam:_** _Seb and Abby will be there too_

 

Summer checked the clock — it was nearly 4 PM. She chewed the inside of her cheek and typed out a response.

 

 **_Summer:_** _Sorry, I’ve been super busy all day! I don’t think I’ll be able to make it, I still have a ton to do. Fall is coming up quick, and all that._

 

That was fine, right? It wasn’t a lie. Of course, she hadn’t really wanted to go anyway... There was nothing wrong with spending an evening at the saloon, but the idea didn’t particularly excite her anymore. Like a lot of things in the valley, those nights never really changed. She liked Sebastian and Abigail, sure, but a night at home would make her happy enough. And Sam —

 

 **_Sam:_** _No worries, I know how it is. Love you :)_

 

Summer sighed. And Sam...

 

She stared down at the screen, unsure of how to respond. The phone buzzed in her hands as another text came through.

 

 **_Sam:_** _As long as I see you at the beach this weekend for the moonlight jellies?_

 

She allowed herself another deep breath. The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was still two days away. She could worry about that later.

 

Summer typed out a quick reply, deleted it, and then typed her response again before she could think too much about it.

 

 **_Summer:_** _of course :)_

 

————

 

Shortly after acquainting herself with Penny, the brassy-haired girl introduced her to Maru. While Summer had initially suspected this was because Penny was still a little bit uncomfortable being one-on-one, it didn’t take long for the three girls to become close friends.

 

Her first spring in the valley turned into her first summer, and on one otherwise uneventful evening, Summer headed to Maru’s house with Penny in tow and plans of stargazing. Maru had a killer telescope, and she promised the night would be crystal clear, perfect for getting an expert glimpse at the sky.

 

When they reached the mountain house, Summer knocked once and let herself in the front door. She had become readily familiar with barging into her friends home, and she smiled to herself at the realization of the comfortable feeling.                                      

 

“I’m in the kitchen!” Maru called out.

 

Summer rounded the corner out of the living room, running almost directly into a tall blonde boy.

 

Summer yelped in surprise, and the boy stepped back, putting his hands in front of himself as if to steady her.

 

“Whoa,” he started. “I am so sorry.” Penny snorted, catching his attention for a split second before he turned his eyes back to Summer. “Hey Penny. No, but seriously, I am so, so sorry. I should pay more attention to where I’m going, I’m just so clumsy…” He trailed off, nervously rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

 

Summer blushed at his profuse apologies, and glanced down at the floor. “It’s okay, really. No big deal.”

 

Maru’s brother, Sebastian, stepped out from behind the blushing blonde and rolled his eyes. “Right, she said it was cool. Now let’s go you big puppy, we’re going to be late.”

 

Ah, he was Sebastian’s friend. That explained why he was here and who he was. Well, sort of.

 

The boy took a few steps to follow Sebastian out and muttered in agreement. “Right.” Without warning, he stopped and spun back around on his heels, almost bumping into Summer again. “I’m Sam, by the way.” He stuck out his hand awkwardly. “I live at 1 Willow Lane.”

 

Summer giggled and accepted his handshake. “Summer. I’m the new girl in town, but you probably already knew that.”

 

“Right. I knew that. Nothing really ever changes in Pelican Town, except for when you showed up, so, everybody knows you’re new. Including me. Even though we’ve never met before, but, like, it’s not weird or anything.”

 

Sebastian crossed his arms, quirking an eyebrow at his stuttering friend.

 

Sam caught Sebastian’s gaze, and looked downright mortified. “Right, well… I’ll see ya later then!” He gave her a thumbs up and immediately made a beeline for the door, keeping his eyes fixed ahead. Sebastian followed him out with a shrug.

 

When the door shut behind them, Penny and Maru broke down in a fit of giggles.

 

Maru smirked wickedly. “Well that was certainly something, now wasn’t it?”

 

Summer tried to play it off, but she could feel a light blush betraying her. “Don’t we have some stars we should be looking at?”

 

She could be a smartass, but Maru wasn't one to push. She lead the girls to the back of the house, immediately launching into a series of explanations about the constellations they would be searching for.

 

Penny tapped lightly on Summer’s shoulder, and whispered to her softly. “He’s certainly no Mr. Darcy, but Sam is a sweetheart.”

 

————

 

Summer spent the rest of the evening hard at work, clearing her fields of every last rock and branch until she no longer had the strength to lift her tools. She was completely exhausted, but being exhausted meant she no longer had the energy to think. Plus, she had made good headway in preparing for fall. In fact, there wasn’t much left to do on the farm before the new season arrived.

 

Her overtired brain began to panic. What would she do tomorrow then? If she didn’t have an excuse, then… she shook the thoughts from her head. No, there was always more work to do. She could take to the mines for more ore, that way she could build more sprinklers or create the tools she needed to start turning some of her crops into artisan goods.

 

Yeah, that sounded good. Like a good, full, productive day. If a trip to the mines was going to be in her future, she had to get to bed. The mines were far from being the safest place in the valley, and she’d need her energy tomorrow.

 

Without another thought, she changed into pajamas and threw herself into her bed. She’d certainly gotten good at shutting her brain up, if nothing else.

 


	2. Chapter 2

There were few things more therapeutic than smashing rocks. Summer swung her pickaxe at a shining cluster of stones, sending bits of rubble flying in every direction. She sifted through the pulverized remains, pulling out a few chunks of iron ore.

 

She briefly wondered how deep the mines could go, but shook off the overwhelming question and busied herself with finding another iron node. She would find out sooner or later if she kept coming back. It was unlikely that she would have a greenhouse built by the time winter came, so she was sure she’d be spending plenty of time underground during the frostier season.

 

Her rucksack was growing heavier, and a quick glance at her phone told her it was a little past 2 PM. She could keep going, but she was still feeling a bit tired from the previous day’s work, and Summer wasn’t in the mood to stumble home in the dark.

 

She fumbled her way towards the exit, but something small and sparkly caught her eye. She knelt down and picked up the jagged piece of quartz. Maru would love it! Much like herself, her brainy friend was always looking for new materials to work with, and quartz happened to be one of her favorites.

 

Satisfied with her finds, she turned again to search for the way out.

 

_Bloop._

 

The unusual, otherworldly noise drew her attention. It sounded… wet. Summer moved her hand to the dagger that rested on her hip, readying herself.

 

With a small _squish_ , a slime slipped out from behind a rock, revealing itself in the torchlight. The unassuming blob blocked the path between her and the elevator, but hey — at least it had shown her the way out.

 

Summer dropped her guard, moving her hand away from her weapon. She couldn't help but laugh in her relief. “Alright little buddy, I don't quite feel like smushing you today. I'm going to walk by you now, okay?”

 

It wasn't like the slime could understand her, but talking to it out loud made her feel better anyway. If it tried to attack, she'd boot it out of the way and make an exit without harming it. Slimes weren't particularly fast, so Summer wasn't worried in the slightest.

 

_Squuuuish._

 

Well, she wasn’t worried before, but she might be now. A much, _much_ larger slime emerged from a darkened corner, falling in line behind the first slime. This one didn’t have eyes, or anything at all other then… well,its _actual slime_. Summer had never seen anything like it. Her fear mounted slightly, and she drew the dagger halfway out of its sheath.

 

_Glop. Glop._

 

Luckily the giant slime seemed to move even more slowly than its counterpart. Summer had a chance to reach the exit if she could dart past it quickly enough…

 

The globulous slime loomed towards her. Summer backed away slowly, hoping to draw its attention away from the elevator, and hoping just as much that she wouldn’t bump into anything behind her. As the slime slithered in her direction, she tensed every muscle in her body and prepared to make her escape.

 

Shutting out her thoughts had been her specialty lately, and she did just that. Without excess consideration, she took off running for the door.

 

She was nearly there when she felt something damp creep up the back of her calf. Daring to turn around, she cast a backwards glance in the general direction of the strange sensation. The mega slime was trying to attach itself to her leg, and slime was seeping through the bottom of her jeans.

  
Summer flailed her leg desperately, trying to shake off what she could of the sticky monster. The slime seemed to bounce back for a moment, and she took the instant to throw herself into the elevator, slamming the buttons to shut the doors.

 

The slime approached the elevator, but the door lurched shut in its face _(Maybe, if it had a face? She definitely wondered about that one)._ Summer slammed her back against the cold metal wall, sinking to the floor to sit. That had been far too close of a call.

 

If Summer was to continue returning to the mines, she knew at some point she’d have to use her weapon against the monsters. She didn’t particularly like the idea of killing anything, but she knew she didn’t want to be killed first. _Only in self-defense_ , she thought to herself. If today was any indication of what lie ahead…

 

The elevator let out a sharp _ding_ as it reached the top floor. Summer rose shakily, more ready than ever to forget about today’s adventures.

 

She glanced down at her watch. Still enough time to stop by the clinic and make her delivery to Maru. If nothing else, her best friend would help distract her from the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

 

————

 

The bells above the door tinkled as Summer entered the clinic. Maru perked up at the noise from behind the counter, a smile crossing her face when she recognized the visitor.

 

“Hey girl, what are you doing here? You look a little sweaty, maybe, but not sick.”

 

Summer stuck her tongue out at her friend. “You’d better watch yourself. I’ve got something for you that I think you might like.”

 

“Alright, alright. You’re _glowing_. And you don’t look dirty at all.” Maru rolled her eyes and stuck out her own tongue right back at Summer, but a smile still played on her lips.

 

Summer reached into her bag, rummaging through the ore she’d collected. “I think you could stand to try harder, but I’ll take it.” She set the quartz down on the counter in front of her.

 

Maru’s eyes widened in surprise. “Summer, this is amazing! Quartz has such unique electromagnetic properties, and with the new tool I’m building I could probably use it as a special sort of conductor to —“

 

Maru cut herself off and shook her head with a smile. “Y’know, I won’t bore you with all that science stuff. Just know you’re like, the best friend ever.”

 

Summer laughed. “It’s not that you bore me, Maru, it’s just that I couldn’t understand you even if I tried. But hey, I’ll take ‘best friend ever.’”

 

The door behind Maru swung open, and Dr. Harvey bustled through and looking quite preoccupied.

 

“Maru, would you be able to give a call to Evelyn to have her schedule a follow-up appointment with George? I would really like to make sure that we’re monitoring his —” The doctor looked up, seeming to realize that there was someone else in the clinic.

 

Summer gave a small wave and an apologetic smile. “Hi, Doctor.”

 

Summer had only spoken to Dr. Harvey a handful of times — mostly at town festivals, which was when there was obvious common ground to make small talk about. The man was always polite and cordial, just as one might expect a doctor to be, but she didn’t really know much about him.

 

“Hello, Summer,” he hummed distractedly. “I assume you’re here to pay a visit to your friend?”

 

Summer hesitated. The town was small, and she knew business at the clinic was slow most days, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty for distracting Maru while she was at work.

 

Her voice was rushed. “I was just dropping something off for Maru on my way through town, actually. I was about to head back to the farm.”

 

Sensing her nervousness, Harvey’s face softened and he offered her a small smile. “I don’t mind at all. There are all of 30 people in this town; if we’re too busy here at the clinic to spare a moment, I imagine that would indicate some much bigger problems.”

 

He seemed genuine, but Summer didn’t want to overstay her welcome.

 

“Thank you Harvey, but there’s still work I need to get done today. Fall will be here soon!” Summer adjusted her bag, said her goodbyes and headed for the door.

 

Harvey looked down at the object sitting on the counter in front of Maru.

 

_Quartz? But where would she get something like —_

 

He glanced over to the girl leaving the office. Her backpack shifted with an unmistakable heaviness, and he noticed something translucent and sticky-looking clinging to the back of one of her jean-clad calves.

 

Within moments, he suspected he had the answer to his question about where the quartz came from, and he wasn’t particularly pleased about it.

 

“Aww,” Maru whined teasingly. “You scared her off.”

 

Harvey didn’t seem to hear his employee, eyes trained on the swinging front door.

 

“Maru, can you set up an appointment for a check-up with Summer, please? I haven’t seen her since she moved here, and I’d like to see how she’s holding up with… all the farmwork.”


	3. Chapter 3

The last day of the season summer arrived, which meant two things for the person Summer: first, there was a lot she had to go over before tomorrow arrived, and second, the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies was tonight.

 

Summer groaned. Why did such a cool event have to happen on such an inconvenient day?

 

And beyond all that, there was the fact that Sam…

 

She shook the thought away as quickly as it came. There was a lot of work to get done before the evening, and if she was lucky she would lose herself to it. Scythe in hand, Summer headed out to the fields.

 

————

 

At last year’s Dance of the Moonlight Jellies (which was Summer’s first time experiencing the event) everything had been… different.

 

Pelican Town’s numerous festivals functioned as social events, alongside whatever other reasons they were being thrown for. Regardless of the specific occasion, you could always be certain that the whole town would be gathered all in one place for at least a few hours. Unusually ceremonious, sure, but they were somewhat comforting nonetheless.

 

This fact paired with Summer’s newness to the town was enough to make her excited to attend. She knew her friends would be there, and the togetherness of it all might just bring her the opportunity to get to know a few more residents — particularly, she was secretly hoping, some of the ones — or, _one_ — that were close to her age.

 

When Summer arrived at the beach, she was promptly greeted by a relieved-looking Penny. The copper-haired girl clung to Summer’s side.

 

“Where’s Maru?” Summer questioned.

 

Penny pointed somewhere further down the pier, where Maru was talking with Harvey. Summer caught her eye and offered a wave, the pair of them waving back. Summer was surprised to get a wave from Harvey. It was a small gesture, but she’d hardly spoken to him since her arrival in town.

 

Penny and Summer picked a spot on the docks that was quiet enough, but not too far away from the center of the excitement. It wasn’t long before Maru joined them.

 

Summer turned to Maru. “Who talks to their boss at social functions?”

 

Maru rolled her eyes. “Plenty of people.”

 

“But, like, willingly?” The farmer stuck out her tongue in mock disgust.

 

“Y’know, not everyone has a boss like the apparent monsters at Joja Corp.” Maru raised an eyebrow, but her tone was light and teasing.

 

“Okay, okay. But what about your work-life balance? The pamphlets in the clinic lobby make it very clear that it’s important for ‘health and wellness.’”

 

Maru gave her friend a playful shove, but when she spoke her tone was sincere. “Harvey is really kind, and I kind of even consider him a friend. I feel bad — he’s unfortunate enough to be at an age where he’s a fair amount younger than most of the adults that live here, but a bit too old to hang out with all of us ‘kids’,” — she was sure to put that word in air quotes before continuing — “on a regular basis. It’s got to be awkward to be stuck at that age here. And lonely.”

 

Summer had never really given much thought to the doctor’s age, but it was obvious that he had more than a couple of years on her. “How old is he, anyway?”

 

“Around 30, or very close to it.”

 

It wasn’t that he was old by any means, but at only 22, Summer knew that he had experienced many more years of adulthood than she had. It made sense why he didn’t quite fit in with any age group in town. The few people that she guessed were close to his age tended to keep more to themselves, save for the artsy pair of Elliot and Leah.

 

Summer had been absentmindedly gazing in Harvey’s general direction, but the smile of a bashful looking blonde boy had crept its way into her line of sight. Without realizing it, she soon had her eyes on him.

 

She offered a small smile in return, and immediately turned back to her friends.

 

Of course, they had noticed.

 

After falling victim to a fit of giggles and some fruitless arguing (Summer reminded them that they were lucky they were her only friends, but Maru rightly retorted she would love them regardless) Summer set out to talk to the boy that had stolen her attention.

 

“Hi.” That was good a start as any, right?

 

He turned to face her, eyes suddenly growing wide in surprise. “Hi. Sam. I mean — I’m Sam. But we’ve already met so I don’t know why I’m trying to —“

 

Snickering rose from behind him, with Sebastian and Abigail appearing to be the culprits. Summer blushed, imagining the trio having a similar conversation to the one she had been forced into with her friends just moments ago.

 

Sam gave a defeated sigh. “I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not any good at this. How… are you?”

 

Summer smiled, her confidence blossoming in knowing that she had reduced this boy into a blubbering mess. She didn’t mean to be cruel. It just wasn’t something that she was used to.

 

“I’m good.” She hoped her casual demeanor would reassure him. “But I have absolutely no idea what the festival is for. I mean, I know it’s called the ‘Dance of the Moonlight Jellies,’ but I haven’t seen anyone dancing. And there’s definitely moonlight, but no jellies.” Summer peered down into the water, as if to make her point.

 

At that moment, Mayor Lewis called out from the shore. “Alright, I’m going to launch the boat.”

 

Sam looked at Summer suddenly and without hesitation, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’re about to find out. Come on.” He reached down to grab her hand.

 

Before Summer could register her heart beating in her chest, or what was even _happening_ , she was whisked off to one of the emptier docks.

 

Out of breath but still hand in hand, she started to try and ask what was going on, but before she could get the words out some sort of glow started to rise from the sea.

 

Startled, Summer started to take a step backward, but Sam used his grip on her hand to gently guide her back towards the edge of the pier. An eager look and a small smile from the boy convinced her to look back into the water.

 

The sight was like nothing she had ever seen, or even dreamed of. Tens, if not hundreds of small jellyfish rose to the surface of the sea, glowing with a faint blue light. Their illuminations breached the world above, and for lack of a better term the whole thing was completely _magical._

 

Summer let out a small gasp of amazement. Sam squeezed her hand. She turned her face up to meet his, looking like a small child full of wonder, and his eyes pooled with warmth and affection.

 

When the jellies returned to the sea and the night grew dark, he walked her home. Summer didn’t let go, and neither did he.

 

————

 

Since that summer night, so much had happened between the pair. In a whirlwind, they had started spending time together, and fall hadn’t even ended by the time they made their relationship official.

 

Sam felt safe. He reminded her of the boys she crushed on when she was growing up in the city — in private, she would sheepishly confess to her friends that he was exactly her type. He had a boyish charm, and he made her laugh with his silliness. When it came to Sam, nothing ever felt too serious. Summer liked that about him.

 

At least, she liked it for a while.

 

For a time, they grew closer. Summer would join Sam and his friends for pool at the Saloon on most Friday nights, and on Sundays his mother Jodi would invite her over for dinner. As weeknights permitted, Sam would make his way over to the farmhouse with takeout or a frozen pizza in hand, and they would watch movies and talk.

 

They fell into a comfortable routine as a couple, which was warm and familiar. But as the summer season came again, Summer had started to feel like ‘familiar’ was just a kinder word for ‘repetitive.’”

 

She felt guilty, conflicted even — she loved his friends, his family, and her friends loved him as well. He was always kind to her. Sam was something that she could always count on to come back around, just as he always had, and… it made her restless.

 

During her first year and a half in Pelican Town, Summer had grown immensely as a person. She had packed up her life in the city and set out on a new adventure all alone; in the valley, she would have to figure everything out on her own. And over time, she managed to become a capable farmer. With every passing season, her crops increased in quality and quantity. She had learned to build what she needed, creating a solid sprinkler system for her flower gardens out of materials she had gathered herself. She had even learned how to turn her produce into an assortment of jams and jellies. It all had taken time, but she was succeeding, improving each day. At this rate, she thought she might even be ready to start raising animals by the next spring.

 

But since she had met him, Sam had always stayed the same.

 

There wasn’t anything wrong with that, she told herself repeatedly. It was his life, and he could do whatever he wanted with it. And that was _fine_.

 

But she couldn’t help but feel that their relationship had stagnated at some point.

 

Summer couldn’t quite pinpoint where or when it happened. Maybe when she had become a regular part of his life, things stopped feeling special.

 

Sam didn’t seem to have a problem with their standard relationship-routine. It was like the pair had a list of expectations, and he was satisfied enough with just checking all of the boxes. He never really went out of his way to do anything more for her (with the exception of occasionally pairing their Stardrop takeout with a dessert), but he also never did any less.

 

It wasn’t as if she had expected to remain in the honeymoon phase forever. This was by no means her first relationship, and she knew that it was natural for those giddy feelings to fade over time. She just hadn’t expected things to dull this much.

 

With a sigh, Summer headed back up to the house to change. She was excited to see the jellies again, really. But the rest of the evening… she’d just have to see.


	4. Chapter 4

Summer made a point to arrive at the beach a little bit later than she should have. She was hoping this would help her make sure she could find her friends first so that she could spend a bit of time avoiding her unknowing boyfriend. Her thought process was all wrong, but Summer knew she really wasn’t prepared to spend the entire evening with him.

 

God, what was _wrong_ with her? It was basically their anniversary.

 

The thought of the word ‘anniversary’ flipped her stomach upside down. Part of her was afraid that he would be waiting to surprise her or celebrate with her, and she felt guilty for wanting to avoid him.

 

The other part of her wasn’t even sure that he would remember the date, which, despite everything, _hurt_. He never broke routine, right? Why should she expect him to now?

 

Both thoughts made her feel awful, but she couldn’t tell which one was more painful.

 

In an instant Summer was shaken from her thoughts as a pair of arms shot out from behind her and snaked around her waist.

 

She jumped in surprise, letting out a loud yelp.

 

“Whoa, hey, I’m sorry!” The owner of the arms stepped out from behind her, and of course it was Sam.

 

Summer looked down at the sand as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. The blush that rose in her cheeks wasn’t from the embarrassment of getting scared, but from the thoughts she’d been having just moments ago.

 

“It’s okay, you just startled me.” Summer’s eyes continued to bore into the sand.

 

Sam didn’t seem to notice. “Mom had me run back to the house to get a sweatshirt for Vincent. It’s totally still summer, but you know how moms can be.” He shrugged and wrapped one of his arms back around her waist, staying at her side and walking next to her.

 

Sam continued to talk about something or other while they walked towards the docks. Summer idly wondered what he was dragging her towards and if she would get the chance to catch up with her friends at some point in the night. She also wondered if it had occurred to Sam that she hadn’t really even said anything to him yet.

 

She soon realized that Sam was pulling her to Jodi and Vincent. Ah, right. He had mentioned something about getting a jacket for his little brother when he’d first run into her.

 

Of course he would take Summer with him to complete his errand. She had been folded in as part of his routine. Those damn expectations.

 

Was she being unfair? Most girls would probably be happy if their boyfriend readily brought them over to spend time with his family. She stood next to him awkwardly as he delivered the sweatshirt to his mom and spoke with him about something Summer couldn’t focus on.

 

He also hadn’t even acknowledged her presence to Jodi once. No, ’Hey, Summer’s here!’ or anything of the sort was said to bring her into the conversation. Was she really too familiar to get even that from him?

 

Sam moved on to Vincent, and Summer was left with the awkward realization that she was still standing motionless in the same spot she arrived at. Jodi was watching her closely, her expression warm but unreadable.

 

Summer curved her mouth upward in an attempt at a smile and waved at Jodi with a small “Hi”, the blush on her face betraying her for a second time that night.

 

There was kindness in Jodi’s eyes when she spoke. “Summer, you’re always welcome to come join us as part of the family. On any occasion.”

 

Summer was grateful for the mercy that Jodi had shown in not pointing to her awkwardness. Though, it also caught her extremely off guard that Jodi seemed to know exactly what was going through her head.  

 

“You know,” the older woman continued, “Your two friends got here just a little while before you. Penny and Maru? They’re on the other dock, I think.”

 

Summer blinked, dumbfounded. Was Jodi giving her an out?

 

“I know that you’re always busy with work on the farm when the seasons change. I’m sure that they would love to see you.”

 

Summer felt that she in no way deserved Jodi’s kindness, but she could have hugged the woman.

 

Smiling her first real smile of the night, Summer finally spoke. “I think I’ll do that. Thank you Jodi.” She hoped she could hear her sincerity, and turned to find her friends.

 

“Summer?”

 

“Oh, yes?”

 

“Be sure to have a good time tonight.”

 

Jodi’s smile was somehow _knowing_ , and Summer tried not to get flustered again. She tried to focus on what Jodi had said without reading too much into it.

 

“Thank you. I will.”

 

Summer thought about saying something to Sam, but he seemed so wrapped up in his own evening, she wasn’t even sure that he knew she was still there. Taking a deep breath, Summer slipped away without him noticing. Again.

 

————

 

It didn’t take Summer long to find her friends (the town was tiny after all; it was honestly sort of a wonder that Sam managed to lose track of her so easily and so often).

 

She couldn’t help the sense of relief she felt when she finally walked up to Penny, Maru… and Harvey?

 

Summer was thrown off yet again. This night was certainly full of surprises.

 

Penny smiled fondly at her friend. Maru and Harvey appeared to be locked in some sort of debate? Neither paid any attention to Summer as she walked up.

 

A meager “Hey, guys…” was all she could manage to squeak out, unable to get a read on the situation. Regardless, this was somehow still going better than the rest of her night had. Summer almost snorted at the thought.

 

If her awkwardness was noticed by anyone, there wasn’t any indication of it. Without turning away from Harvey, Maru started in on her friend.

 

“Summer, tell Harvey that no one is dying from skipping breakfast. Even if they skip it like, every day.”

 

“W… what?”

 

Maru waved her hand in Summer’s general direction. “Anecdotal evidence is fine.”

 

Summer looked pleadingly to Penny for help, who simply shrugged. “They’ve been doing this for a while.”

 

Harvey rubbed his temples. “Of course no one is _dying_ , Maru. But that doesn’t mean skipping breakfast is exactly a great option, either.”

 

It was clear that Harvey was getting exasperated, and Summer couldn’t help but laugh. Maru was many things, and stubborn was most definitely one of them. Doctor or not, Harvey never stood a chance.

 

Summer turned to the poor man, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t even know why you started this. You’ve worked with her long enough; you should certainly know better than to try and get Maru to budge on… well, anything really.”

 

Harvey turned to Summer wearing the look of a man defeated, but he grinned nonetheless. “I suppose you’re right. But in my defence, she absolutely started it.”

 

Summer let out another laugh, and Harvey chuckled softly with her. She found herself pleasantly surprised by how warm and deep the low noise sounded.

 

Maru crossed her arms, nodding to Summer. “Alright, not exactly the backup I was looking for. But I’ll take it.” She turned her head, eyes searching the dock. “Where’s lover boy, anyway?”

 

Summer suddenly felt embarrassed. There was no way she was going to be able to explain whatever was going on, much less in front of Doctor Harvey. She averted her eyes, shrugging in a way that she hoped was noncommittal enough.

 

Either that had been enough of an answer for Maru, or she got the hint. It didn't really matter, because she was quick to change the subject by moving on to harass Harvey about something else.

 

Summer rolled her eyes, thankful for the distraction as she watched her friend fluster her boss. Despite her overwhelming antics, Summer was sure that Harvey was used to it by now, and that he didn't mind. Of course, only Maru could manage to get away with something like that with the person who signed her paychecks.

 

A small smile formed on her lips and left her feeling grateful. Despite how overwhelmed she'd been feeling lately, she could always count on her friends to bring her back down to earth, whether it was Maru with her vivaciousness or Penny with her quiet loyalty.

 

And Harvey, now too, apparently. It was seriously funny watching him try to hold his own against Maru.

 

Just as things started to feel comfortable again, Summer was hit by reality with Mayor Lewis announcing he was ready to launch the light-boat and get things underway.

 

She wanted to stay with her friends, but she knew that the night, or more importantly, the anniversary was a special occasion to be shared between herself and Sam. Though she had been feeling unsure about the course of their relationship, she still wanted to have this with him. She left the trio to scout out her boyfriend, a nervous fluttering of butterflies starting in her stomach. In turn, this made her even giddier — it had been a long time since she had felt this way about anything that had to do with Sam.

 

Summer reached the other side of the docks while Mayor Lewis was still fumbling with the boat. She found Sam away from his family, now with Abigail and Sebastian. She approached the group with a nervous optimism in her chest, ready to experience the jellies for what would only be the second time in her life, and beyond that, ready to reconnect with her boyfriend.

 

"Hey," she greeted Sam, a reserved smile forming involuntarily at her lips.

 

"Hey," he acknowledged. Sam turned back to whatever conversation he had been having with Sebastian prior to her arrival.

 

Oh. Okay. She had just sort of interrupted, probably. Summer tried to hide her uncertainty, trying to hold on to the warm feelings she had been feeling just moments ago.

 

The longer she stood in her spot next to her boyfriend (but somehow so utterly alone), the more butterflies she could feel die off. One, by one, by one until all the wings stopped beating and they had all but settled in a heavy pit in the bottom of her stomach. Well, butterflies weren’t said to have a very long lifespan anyway.

 

The bad joke was almost enough to make her smile to herself. Almost.

 

The celebrations moved along, but Summer was left rooted where she was. Lewis launched the boats, the jellyfish arrived, but she couldn’t focus. The luminous glow of the jellies was still as beautiful as she remembered, but somehow everything felt _less_. She felt like she was in the wrong spot — she didn’t belong here.

 

Time passed without her noticing until finally indistinct chatter told her that the festival had ended. There was no light left in the ocean.

 

“Hey, come on,” Sam tugged at her sleeve.

 

One butterfly had made it through the the massacre, apparently, and she felt it when her stomach made a nervous flip. She trailed along behind her boyfriend, wondering what was coming next. Even if nothing was planned, they could still spend the rest of their night together.

 

She walked along the docks, and the beach, following him closely the entire time. Sebastian and Abigail were still around, but Summer figured they would split off once they got back into town.

 

Summer was right. They crossed the bridge into town, and Sam said his goodbyes to his friends. Summer did as well, feeling more chipper than she had previously.

 

Once they were finally alone, Sam turned to face his girlfriend.

 

“I always love the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. It’s definitely one of the coolest festivals out here.”

 

Summer nodded with enthusiasm.

 

“Alright, well, I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?”

 

Sam kissed the top of her head, and turned to walk in the direction of his home.

 

That was it.

 

She wasn’t sure if he didn’t remember, or if he just didn’t care.

 

Tears burned in her eyes. Summer took a few steps off the path to try and gather herself. The quickest way back home was past Sam’s house, and she wasn’t ready to walk down the path he left on.

 

She breathed in a shuddering sigh and crossed her arms tightly to her chest. She would be fine. She just needed to —

 

Someone cleared their throat behind her, interrupting her train of thought.

 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but would you like to walk back into town with me this evening? It looks like we’re some of the last residents left out here.”

 

She turned to the owner of the voice, and was met with warm brown eyes and a kind smile that belonged to none other than Doctor Harvey.

 

She blinked back her tears and nodded yes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote half of this at work and half of it after drinking a bottle of wine and I didn't edit it and I'm NOT SORRY! Okay, I'm maybe a little bit sorry.

The walk home from the beach with Harvey was uneventful until it wasn't.

 

Though Summer wasn't much more than acquaintances with the doctor, she knew that his company would force her to keep her feelings in check for at least a little bit longer. She could break down when she got home; she didn’t exactly want to be an emotional wreck in the middle of town, even if most of the residents had already retired to their homes for the night.

 

She suspected, of course, that Harvey knew she wasn't in the best state. Though they had talked a bit earlier in the evening, there wasn't really much of a reason for him to offer her his company unless he had seen what happened with Sam. Even if he hadn't, he had approached her while she was standing lost and fighting back tears. She was sure her distress was obvious, but then again, some people were clueless when it came to reading others. Sam immediately came to mind as the prime example of this.

 

Whatever the reason for offering his company was, Summer unexpectedly felt more grateful than awkward and accepted his companionship.

 

Harvey, bless him, led the conversation with ease. It was exactly what she needed, which all but confirmed that he knew Summer was desperate for a distraction.

 

It worked, of course, though maybe not in the exact way he had intended. Harvey rattled on about something science-y concerning the bioluminescence of the jellyfish and how they knew when to migrate to Pelican Town each year. While that information was perfectly interesting, Summer found herself far more distracted by the realization that she had never heard the doctor be so long-winded. She had always known him to be on the quieter side, and it left her wondering if he was really doing this for her sake, or if she genuinely didn't know him in the slightest. Regardless, Harvey’s low voice was doing a fantastic job filling the silence and allowing her to focus on something other than the heavy pain in her chest.

 

The pair completed their stroll through town, nearing the front of Harvey's clinic. Summer slowed to a stop, planning on stumbling through a rushed goodbye — she was thinking it would be something along the lines of, "Well, see ya later!" even though they both very well knew that it wasn't likely that they would ever actually hang out together. Yeah, maybe she had branded this encounter as "not awkward" a bit too soon.

 

She was struggling with herself when Harvey cleared his throat, running a noticeably large hand through his ocean breeze-swept brown hair.

 

"I know your farm is just up the way and I'm sure you're more than capable of getting there on your own, but I did offer to walk back with you. It wouldn't feel quite right if I just left here and sent you the rest of the way on your own."

 

Harvey looked at her suddenly, expectantly, as if he was awaiting her command, and Summer felt a flush of heat rise in her cheeks. Why did her face always have to betray her like this?

 

"It's also gotten late and dark, and like I said, I know you're more than capable of making it home yourself, but it would just make me feel better if..."

 

In an instant, Summer's train of thought stopped dead in its tracks and she burst into laughter before the poor man. Harvey looked confused for a moment, and then bewildered, and then it was his turn to blush.

 

Summer held up her hand as if to tell him to relax, but she couldn't seem to produce any words and instead choked out more giggles.

 

She took a breath, pulling herself together for the sake of the confused man standing in front of her.

 

"Harvey, I completely understand, I do. And I'm not offended. But take a minute to think about where we actually are. Like, tonight. Right now.”

 

He blinked at her, completely unsure of what was happening. God, Summer felt like an ass, but her amusement didn’t wane.

 

“Do you really think you have to worry about me, here in Pelican Town, where literally everyone knows everyone? The only time people ever even pass through our town is during the Fall Fair, and even then Mayor Lewis practically has to _beg_ the governor to advertise in the city and drag people out here."

 

Realization dawned across Harvey's face, and it only took a minute before he slipped into a grin and began laughing with her.

 

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm still not used to living in a community like this, even after a few years. The valley truly does exist in a bubble from the rest of the world, and it's easy to forget when you haven't been here your whole life."

 

"Harvey, you don't need to apologize. I'm from Zuzu City. Hell, if we were there right now and you had offered to walk me home I wouldn't feel safe for either of us."

 

Harvey chuckled again, shifting his body in the direction of his clinic. "Right then, well if that's the case —"

 

Without thinking, Summer's arm shot out. Her hand gripped the doctor's forearm. He looked just as surprised as she felt.

 

"That doesn't mean you have to leave, though. You're welcome to walk me home anyway if you’d like."

 

Harvey's eyes were trained on his arm, and on her hand. He looked up at her slowly and cautiously, in the way that one might if they were trying to keep from scaring away a shy animal.

 

A smile met his eyes, crinkling them at the corners.

 

"Of course."

 

Summer removed her hand from his arm, her fingertips brushing the backside of his hand as it made its way back to her side.

 

She tried not to shiver at the contact. And “try” was not an exaggeration. It really took an enormous amount of effort to ignore the tingle that ran down her spine, and she attempted to push that fact out of her brain immediately.

 

Well, she had certainly come into a peculiar way of surprising herself tonight.

 

————

 

After their little exchange in front of the clinic, it became clear that Harvey was no longer sure how to lead their conversation. Summer had thrown the man for a loop, and she felt sort of guilty at the thought that she had made him feel awkward when he had been nothing but kind to her. However, this was slightly closer to the Harvey she thought she knew and for some reason that made things feel more normal.

 

Summer valiantly decided to return the favor he had granted her earlier in the evening, guiding the conversation with her own topics of interest. She talked about the beginning of the fall season, the work she would have to do, and the seeds she would be planting. It was easy enough, and seemed like a safe topic.

 

Harvey at least had the decency to appear interested in what she was saying, although whether he actually was or not wasn’t clear to her. When Sam was uninterested in something, it was always blatantly obvious.

 

Summer shook her head at her own comparison between the two. Why was something like that even crossing her mind?

 

It didn’t take them long to reach her farmstead. After all, it wasn’t far from town.

 

Even though the extra distance had only added a few more minutes to their walk, Summer felt much more confident in her next goodbye after having led the conversation.

 

They had reached her doorstep, and she turned to face him.

 

“Well, now I suppose I’ll feel bad about you walking home alone in the dark.”

 

He grinned at her. “Ah, but you were so kind to remind me that we are in Pelican Town, and the most I probably have to worry about is Mayor Lewis trying to sneak his way back home from Marnie’s ranch.”

 

Summer just about choked.

 

“You know about that!?”

 

“Of course I do. The better question is who doesn’t? Besides, I’m the town’s only doctor,” he rolled his eyes. “You don’t even want to know some of things that people tell me. I’ve definitely got some stories.”

 

Confidence surging from nowhere in particular (and definitely not coming from anywhere logic was involved), Summer lifted her chin to meet his eyes.

 

“Oh really? I think I might like to hear them sometime. I enjoyed listening to you talk tonight.”

 

Harvey blushed, stuttering.

 

“Well I... I’m not sure I can tell you all of them — not the ones from here at least. You know, patient confidentiality and all...”

 

Summer looked away, feeling a bit ashamed. Of course he wouldn’t be able to tell her, and why would he want to anyway? What was she even trying to accomplish with that remark? She was being weird and stupid.

 

“But I wouldn’t mind sharing some of them with you, if you’d could ever find the time to sit down and chat with me. I know you’re busy.”

 

Summer’s smile returned, chasing anything logical straight out of her body. “I would like that.”

 

She moved towards her front door, stopping to turn around just as her hand reached the knob.

 

“Harvey?”

 

He hadn’t moved from the spot that she’d left him in.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Thank you for tonight. You had absolutely no reason to be so kind to me, but I really needed someone — I think that much was maybe more obvious than I would have liked it to be — and I appreciate you being there.”

 

“Oh, of course Summer. It was my pleasure. Truly.”

 

He was courteous as ever, but she felt reassured by his words. She smiled at him one more time and headed inside her home without risking another look back.

 

Summer shut the door and immediately backed up against it, as if she needed the sturdy wooden frame to keep her upright.

 

She had felt the sincerity of his words, a simple sort of kindness she hadn’t seen from Sam in who knows how long. That was the second or third comparison she had automatically made between the two men that night. And Harvey had come out on top, again.

 

She had hardly spoken to the doctor before this evening, and now she was comparing him to her boyfriend. Her anniversary-forgetting boyfriend.

 

It was like her brain wasn't hers anymore. Oh Yoba, what was she even thinking?


	6. Chapter 6

Summer rubbed the sleep from her eyes, blinking at the sunbeams that slipped through the window panes. She shifted under her covers, reveling in the softness of her comforter and feeling perfectly content with the moment. What did she have to do today? Summer lazily glanced over at the calendar hanging on the wall.

 

That's right, today was the first of fall, which meant that she couldn't let herself stay tucked in for much longer. It also meant that yesterday was the end of summer, and…

 

Oh.

 

The events from the previous night rushed back to her, and she was almost embarrassed with herself for so easily forgetting what had happened. Forgetting, and subsequently remembering how last night had ended.

 

It was weird, she felt weird, and she was being weird even now, alone in her room. So what if she had found the doctor attractive for a minute or two? She had been feeling upset about her anniversary. She was vulnerable, and he showed her kindness. Why wouldn't that have appealed to her? It was a classic movie trope, one that was at least based on a kernel of truth.

 

Now, in the daylight, she was certain that things would go back to normal. It wasn't like she saw Harvey on a regular basis, and even if she bumped into him she was sure things would be just like they were before. They were strangers, acquaintances at best, and one walk home together wasn't enough to change that.

 

Even if that walk home had taken place on the night of her forgotten anniversary.

 

Summer pushed herself upwards, allowing herself a few more restful moments sitting on the edge of her bed. She had a long day ahead of her, and, as always, Summer would occupy herself with her work. Her determination, and doing whatever she could to see the farm succeed always ruled out over any noisy thoughts and feelings.

 

Besides, it was hard to feel overly emotional with a hoe in your hand and hours of repetitive manual labor.

 

————

 

As expected, Summer lost herself to the first day of fall, managing to plant all of the seeds she had been stockpiling for the season. Exhausted, she surveyed the neat rows of tilled soil and felt deservedly proud of herself, though she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was off.

 

She walked down each row, trying to picture what it might all look like when the crops were ready for harvest.

 

Yams and beets would grow in the cleared centers of her fields, as they were somewhat hardier crops. A patch of corn was located a bit farther away, since she didn’t want the tall stalks to block the sun from any of her other crops. Artichokes had taken a place close to her farmhouse so she could keep an eye on them — they tended to be more finicky. She had even taken the liberty of starting a garden of fairy roses near the pond.

 

Eggplants, cranberries, amaranth for Marnie’s cows, and a patch of sunflowers just for her. It was all here, so why did she feel like — oh, shit.

 

It was fall, and Summer had somehow forgotten to plant the freakin’ _pumpkins_.

 

Of course they had the longest growing cycle, and of course they were exactly what everyone wanted to have at every fall gathering.

 

Summer turned her face to the sky. It was starting to get dusky, but if she started now she might have just enough time to get them all planted and watered. She thought about stopping to eat since she was utterly exhausted, but decided she’d rather be done sooner than later and opted for just a few bites of a field snack before returning to work.

 

Summer managed to get the soil tilled, and fertilized the dirt while scattering seeds to cut back on the number of trips she had to take across the soon-to-be pumpkin patch. Though tired, she had been doing pretty well for herself. At least, she was until she finally got to watering.

 

Summer knew she had pushed herself past her limits, but she was so close to being finished. She had definitely slowed down, and was stopping now and again to steady herself. But there was just one row of pumpkins left to water. Or was it two? She couldn’t remember, and she couldn’t focus well enough to tell. Either way, it didn’t matter. She was confident that she was almost done.

 

She moved to water the next spot, turning on her heels and promptly losing her balance to the uneven ground. She tumbled to the dirt, almost cursing her clumsiness but not really having the energy to.

 

Summer made contact with the ground, knowing that she hit it hard but not able to feel the impact. In fact, she couldn’t feel much of anything outside of a dull throbbing of her muscles and a faint sort of cloudiness that seemed to be settling into her body.

 

Face pressed against the dirt, Summer thought about getting up and going back to her farmhouse.

 

But it was so far… she wasn’t even sure if she would make it. And besides, the dirt right here was comfy, and the other dirt might not be that comfortable if she fell again… Summer’s eyes fluttered as her view began to darken. Had the sun really set that fast?

 

Besides, she considered, when she woke up, she would be right where she needed to be to finish her watering.

 

She probably would have smiled at the thought, had she not gone out cold less than a second later.

 

————

 

Maru shuffled up to the darkened farmhouse, a basket in her hands. There was no way Summer would have intentionally gone to sleep this early. Maru knew her friend always pushed herself too hard at the start of each season, but it was barely past 8 PM.

 

Maru knocked the door gently, hoping she wouldn’t startle her friend with the sudden noise if she had somehow dozed off.

 

Maru rocked back on her heels, waiting for a response. She tried not to feel nervous, but man, if Summer had already fallen this deeply asleep, it was a _very_ good indicator that she had pushed herself far past her usual limits.

 

“Summer? It’s Maru,” she called. “Mom made spaghetti and I brought some over since I know you never eat enough when you’re working.”

 

She knocked a little bit harder this time, pressing her ear to the door and listening for any movement.

 

A few moments of silence was more than enough for her, and Maru reached down to jiggle the doorknob, which turned with ease. Thank goodness Summer rarely locked her doors.

 

Maru pushed her way into the house, cautiously setting the basket of food on the nearby kitchen table and moving towards the bedroom.

 

“Girl, it’s like 8 o’clock, and if you’re seriously already asleep…”

 

She pushed the bedroom door open, but Summer’s bed was empty.

 

A bit more frantic now, Maru tried to calm herself with logical thoughts. This had, after all, been a surprise visit. When Summer didn’t respond to her texts, Maru had assumed she was still hard at work, but maybe she was out with Sam?

 

Maru fired off a text to her friend’s boyfriend, and after another moment, sent one more message to Summer just in case she had somehow missed the ones from earlier.

 

_BRRRZT._

 

Maru jumped at the sudden noise, but laughed as she recognized the sound as a phone vibrating. She had just sent a text, what should she have expected?

 

She felt a rush of relief as she flicked on her phone screen. Summer was probably with Sam, doing something she didn’t want to think too much about that would explain the radio silence.

 

Any relief Maru had felt quickly turned to confusion. She didn’t have any new messages, but she had definitely heard…

 

Maru all but dropped her phone as she looked frantically around the room. There, on Summer’s nightstand was her cellphone, blinking with the notification to signal unread messages.

 

God, where was she?

 

Maru made one last pass through the house, then rushed to the porch and began scanning the fields. It was dark, but somewhere out towards the middle she could just make out an orangey flash that looked strikingly similar to the color of Summer’s hair.

 

Maru wasn’t sure whether she hoped it was or wasn’t Summer as she rushed towards the figure, but either way it didn’t take long for her to figure it out.

 

Biting back panic, she was on the phone with Doctor Harvey before she even reached her friend.

 

————

 

As fast as her legs would allow, Maru arrived at the scene. She found Summer unconscious and a bit banged up, but as far as she could tell her friend would be quite alright. She was still glad she had called Doctor Harvey, too, since she wouldn’t be able to carry Summer back to the house on her own.

 

Harvey was there just minutes later, looking noticeably winded but managing to keep his calm, professional demeanor as he assessed the situation. He checked Summer’s vitals the best he could in the middle of the field as he led Maru through a series of questions.

 

“Do you know how long she’s been out?”

 

“No, I only stopped by a few minutes ago to bring her dinner. I know she works too hard at the start of a season, but I’ve never seen her like this before.”

 

“Her condition hasn’t changed since I arrived?”

 

“Not that I can tell. She just appears to be overexerted.”

 

“Did you come across anything else notable when you found her?”

 

“Not that I can think of.”

 

Harvey’s eyes gazed over the scene, passing by an overturned watering can and rows of tracks in the tilled field. He nodded, a calm look set on his face.

 

“Let’s get her back to the house.”

 

Maru grunted in agreement, then paused suddenly. “How do you want to move her? While I’m almost certain she doesn’t have any spinal injuries, I know I can’t carry her myself and I’m not sure of the best way for us to —“

 

Wordlessly, Harvey handed Maru his briefcase of equipment, and in one fluid motion he scooped Summer into his arms in a bridal-carry.

 

Maru quirked an eyebrow at the doctor, but he didn’t make eye contact and she wasn’t sure whether he was avoiding her gaze or focused on the task at hand.

 

“Doctor, are you sure you can —“

 

Harvey cut her off almost immediately, exasperation tingeing the edges of his voice. “For Yoba’s sake Maru, I’m not _that_ old.”

 

Maru fell silent in surprise. She didn’t think she had ever heard the doctor raise his voice before, much less at her.

 

With Summer in his arms, Harvey began to walk in the direction of the farmhouse. Maru trailed behind, finding her stubborn-self growing increasingly more annoyed. What gave him the right to speak out like that over her concern anyway?

 

Her words were biting. “I’m sorry that I offended you by being worried about the safety of my unconscious best friend.”

 

Harvey turned to look at her over his shoulder, his face stony.

 

“I’m worried too.”

 

————

 

The rest of the walk was silent until they reached the farmhouse. Maru opened the door and led the way to Summer’s bedroom, where Harvey gently laid her down on her bed. He moved to do one more round of examinations, speaking softly to Maru as he worked.

 

“I’m checking up on her again just to be sure she’s stable, but I’m nearly 100% confident that she’ll wake up in the morning with little more than some aches and pains.”

 

Maru nodded, fidgeting slightly in her place. She was a nurse, and she knew herself that Summer would be fine, but she was more nervous than usual since this was her friend.

 

Harvey paused his examination and turned to face her with a small smile.

 

“You’re welcome to head home while I wrap things up with the patient. I’m sure your evening was more of an ordeal than you anticipated.” His voice sounded much more steady now.

 

Maru stared down at the color, feeling both guilty and grateful. “Yes, doctor.”

 

She turned to leave, but before she was even through the door frame Harvey called out to her again. Maru stopped in her tracks, listening.

 

“Maru, I apologize for snapping at you earlier. I really was worried, and I feel like I could have prevented this. I wanted her to come in for a check-up over the summer when I suspected she was working too hard, but I never followed up on the thought. I guess I pushed it out of my mind. I mean, I didn’t even ask her to come in.”

 

He looked up at his nurse, his deep brown eyes wavering. “I can’t help but feel I’ve failed as her doctor.”

 

Maru could feel his sincerity, but she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Harvey, you haven’t failed at anything. Summer is the queen of pushing herself too hard, and I don’t think that anyone can prevent that.”

 

Maru stepped back into the room and placed a comforting hand on Harvey’s shoulder.

 

“I’m sure there’s a reason she ended up going too far this time, though, whether or not she realizes it. It’s always worse when something’s on her mind.”

 

She gave him a reassuring squeeze, then turned to leave again.

 

“I’ll be sure to talk to her about it tomorrow, or when she gets to feeling better. Not as a nurse of course, but as her friend. But Harvey?”

 

“Yes?” He was quieter now.

 

“For the record, I think you are an excellent doctor.”

 

————

 

With Maru gone, it didn’t take Harvey long to finish his re-examination of Summer. She was in fine shape, and at this point she was just caught in a deep and likely well-deserved sleep.

 

Harvey cautiously walked over to a nearby dresser, pulling down a blanket that was neatly folded on top of it. He shook it out, then delicately laid it over Summer’s slender frame. She looked so much younger like this, in a slumber so deep that all of her fiery ambition had temporarily left her body.

 

An abrupt thumping noise shook him from his thoughts, and he turned in alarm to find himself face to face with… nothing? He knitted his brows together in confusion.

 

Any uncertainty was quelled moments later when a fluffy ball of cat began rubbing itself up against his legs, purring so hard he was afraid that Summer might wake up.

 

He smiled and bent down to scratch the cat between its ears. Harvey softly patted the bed beside him, coaxing it to jump up.

 

“Would you like to watch over my patient once I’m gone? I was about to head out.”

 

The cat let out a contented “mraow” and butted up against him one more time before hopping onto the bed and curling into Summer’s side.

 

“Take care of her, alright?”

 

Harvey watched over the pair for a moment more, then pulled out a pen and a pad of paper from his brief case and scribbled down a quick note to leave on her nightstand.

 

**Call me if you need anything.**

**\- Harvey**

 

He jotted down his phone number, then briefly wondered why he hadn’t signed it “Dr. Harvey.”

 

Gathering his things, he took one last glance at the girl (and her cat) and let himself out.

 

Before stepping off the porch, he scanned the fields to make sure he hadn’t missed anything in his previous haste. His eyes quickly landed on the fallen watering can that he had noticed earlier in the night, and a couple of dry-looking rows of seeds that he assumed were the culprits of Summer’s overexertion.

 

Sighing, he rolled up his sleeves and made a beeline for the watering can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I literally just finished this and didn’t edit it at all but I promised I’d finish and post it before I leave the state for work in like 8 hours so at least there’s that


	7. Chapter 7

Summer woke up on the second morning of fall with a pounding in her head and aches that seemed to reverberate through every inch — no, every centimeter — of her body.

 

She looked around her room, not entirely sure how she ended up there. She didn’t remember anything after she went to water the pumpkins, much less getting into bed.

 

Man, who knew a long day of farmwork could end up feeling like a night spent drinking?

 

Summer reached down to throw the covers off, only to make contact with a blanket that was much heavier than expected. Draped over her was one of the blankets that she normally saved for the winter months. She was hit with a wave of uneasiness, and promptly rolled over to do what any moderately disheveled person would do — check her phone for clues.

 

Before she could grab her phone, her hand knocked over a piece of paper that had apparently been sitting on her nightstand. She furrowed her brow as she read the scrawling text. 

 

**Call me if you need anything.**

**\- Harvey**

 

Summer felt her cheeks flush. Well, shit. That was certainly a start of an explanation.

 

She traced over the doctor’s writing with her thumb wondering just how badly she had done herself in, then sighed as she finally picked up her phone. One new text from Maru.

 

**Hey, I found you passed out in your field yesterday and had to call Harvey (sorry!!) We took care of you and he says you should be okay, but PLEASE let me know if you need anything. There’s spaghetti in the fridge that I brought over last night and I told Sam to check on you. <3333**

 

The text was a little bit uncharacteristic of Maru, which immediately made Summer feel guilty. She really must have given her friend a scare to earn a text message with that many capital letters AND hearts in it from the most by-the-books person she knew.

 

She laid back on her pillows in defeat. She really had to take better care of herself.

 

Summer briefly wondered if she had ruined any part of her field in the midst of her exhaustion, but before she could make any moves to check her phone buzzed with another message.

 

This one was from Sam.

 

**Hey babe, u ok? Maru told me you passed out last night and I should make sure you were fine.**

 

Summer sighed. Well, she supposed that was her lovely boyfriend’s idea of checking up on her.

 

She wanted to leave her phone on the nightstand and not even think about anything that had happened in the previous night, but she reluctantly decided it probably wasn’t a good idea. She didn’t think she would ever actually call anyone for help, but it was better to be safe than passed out in the middle of your own field. Summer slowly dressed and slipped the phone into her pocket without responding to Sam. She would reply to Maru soon, but she wanted to try to make at least some sense of things before she did.

 

Ignoring the aches and pains in her body, she stepped out onto her porch and into the morning sun. She squinted in the light, taking a few steps and nearly toppling over the… watering can?

 

She gingerly picked up the tool. Summer figured that Maru or Harvey had probably brought it up onto the porch, which meant she had probably gone down while watering. She swore under her breath — if she hadn’t finished the watering, some of her pumpkins were going to be behind in their growing cycle. 

 

Summer picked up the can and filled it promptly, then made a beeline for the pumpkin patch. Maybe if she tended to the neglected crops quickly enough they would still somehow manage be ready on time. 

 

She reached the edge of the field, and began scouring the soil for any dry patches. The fall weather was more temperate than the summer heat, so her seeds were unlikely to be completely dried out already. She had been confident in that much, but Summer found herself growing confused as she clambered through the rows of pumpkin seeds. All of the plants looked evenly watered.

 

She paused, desperately trying to remember the events of the previous night. While she was no stranger to dumb luck, there was no way she had managed to conveniently water every single plant right before passing out. If she was being completely honest with herself, Summer knew she never should have even tried to tackle the pumpkin patch last night — she had been spent before she even started.

 

An attempt at an explanation flickered in the back of her mind. Perhaps… someone had finished the watering for her? As far as she knew, Maru and Harvey had been the only ones on her farm since yesterday and that didn’t make sense. Despite being a scientist who regularly helped her father with his own environmental work, Maru would never touch Summer’s crops while they were still in the ground. The girl had many talents, but gardening was not one of them. And Harvey was her doctor, who had already gone out of his way to make a late night housecall — it definitely wasn’t his job to help finish an irresponsible patient’s literal dirty work.

 

One way or another, her plants had been watered sometime last night.

 

Summer nervously twirled a strand of hair around her finger, biting her lower lip. There was maybe one person who would go out of their way to do something like this for her. Someone who _was_ supposed to care more than everyone else.

 

She pulled out her phone and shot off a quick text to her boyfriend.

 

**I’m feeling exhausted, but I think I’m okay. Thanks for your help. You really saved me :)**

 

Summer felt like a little bit of a jerk for how she had reacted to his text from earlier this morning. She had clearly missed some of the context behind it. Her phone pinged with a response almost immediately.

 

**Sam: Wait, what?**

**Sam: Are you mad at me or something?**

**Sam: But I’m glad you’re feeling better**

 

**Summer: ???**

 

**Sam: I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic over text**

 

**Summer: Uh, what part of that seemed like sarcasm?**

 

**Sam: Me saving you... I wasn’t even there**

 

**Summer: Yeah, but someone finished my watering last night**

**Summer: Wasn’t that you?**

 

**Sam: No, sry...**

 

**Summer: Oh.**

 

After sending the last message, Summer still watched her phone screen for a few moments, but she knew better than to expect another quick response. She sighed. Right, she wasn’t a complete jerk and her annoyance was sort of justified… but she _was_ an idiot.

 

Summer tended to her crops slowly, carefully, trying to keep herself from breaking in more ways than one. Her body was still heavy with exhaustion, and a new tightness in her chest threatened to shatter her any minute. Why had she even allowed herself to have the hope that things had been different this time? She should have known better.

 

Well, she _should_ have known better, but the fact remained that someone did go out of their way to finish watering her plants last night. It wasn’t entirely her fault for thinking that someone might have been her boyfriend, the person who was supposed to want to take care of her.

 

Summer knew that there was magic in the valley, but the junimos had certainly never helped her out with farm work before. She wasn’t sure what the creatures were capable of, but their stringy little arms probably couldn’t lift a watering can even if it was empty. She felt crazy to even be considering them in the first place.

 

It obviously had to have been either Maru or Harvey, and the only reason she was putting this much thought into the situation in the first place was because it was definitely not Maru.

 

Summer wrapped up her farmwork as quickly as she could, sprinkling water and doing nothing more for what felt like the first time in forever. 

 

When she finished, she shot off a quick text to Maru to ask if she had been responsible for the unexpected plant care (even though she already knew the answer) and promptly returned to bed. Her body was still feeling burnt out, and beyond that, if she was asleep then she didn’t have to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not my favorite chapter, especially with how long it took to write... but it sort of needed to happen so that I can move the story along so here we are


	8. Chapter 8

Summer woke up to a pounding on her door, opening it to find a distressed looking Maru.

 

She glared slightly at her friend, but Maru didn’t seem to notice.

 

“Summer! Thank god. I know I’m probably freaking out a little too much but you texted me and then stopped responding and I just got so worried because I know that yesterday took a toll on your body and you always push yourself too hard so I wanted to make sure that —”

 

Summer softened slightly at her friend’s incessant rambling, cutting her off. It was clear that she must have really given Maru a scare last night. “Hey, I’m alright.”

 

Maru met her with a nervous smile. “I know. There are probably tons of people taking care of you and I don’t have anything to worry about. I just care about you, and I know how hard it is for you to stop working even when you need to.”

 

Tons of people taking care of her? What was Maru talking about?

 

The question must have shown on her face, because Maru immediately launched into an explanation.

 

“I mean, I know you have Sam and of course there’s no way Jodi would let him come over without a whole basket full of stuff to help you feel better. And if they know, I’m sure that most of the town knows, and Lewis has probably dropped by since he’s basically your second grandfather…” Maru trailed off when Summer stopped looking at her.

 

Summer’s mouth felt dry, and she tried to keep her voice from breaking. She overcompensated, leaving her voice sounding absurdly cheerful. “Nope! Just you.”

 

Maru looked puzzled. “Who… who watered your crops, then? You asked me, but you know I wouldn’t even try unless I wanted to test how fast I could kill a plant.”

 

Summer shook her head, struggling to keep her expression neutral and not really looking at Maru. “It was Harvey, I think.”

 

Maru’s eyes widened in surprise and confusion while Summer simply shrugged.

 

“It had to have been Harvey. You and him are the only ones who I’ve seen since…” she waved her hand nonchalantly, not knowing exactly what to call her little accident.

 

“So… where has Sam been?”

 

Summer shrugged again, her face downcast. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to look her friend in the eye.

 

Maru suddenly grabbed Summer’s hand, stepping inside and tugging them both towards the couch.

 

“Come talk to me.”

 

————

 

Summer was tired, her body was still hurting, and the last thing she wanted to do was talk about Sam. But the normally persistent Maru was being kind and understanding, and it didn’t take long for all of Summer’s walls to come crumbling down.

 

She told Maru almost every detail of the last year with Sam. How things had changed, how any time she spent with him had become so routine. Maru listened intently, occasionally nodding or making a noise of acknowledgment, but never interrupting. When she started talking about the Dance of the Moonlight jellies, her voice started quivering. By the time she caught her story up to the present day, tears had wet her face before she even realized that she was crying.

 

Maru stayed quiet, and simply wrapped her arms around her friend in a comforting hug.

 

Summer choked out her words between breathy sobs. “I feel like such a failure.”

 

Maru shook her head. “You’re not a failure, Summer. If anything, it sounds like he’s the one who has been dropping the ball.”

 

Maru paused, chewing her lower lip. “Can I ask you something?” She waited for Summer to nod before continuing. “Do you think that you would want to try fixing your relationship with Sam?”

 

Summer shook her head no, then started crying harder.

 

“I don’t know why I’m crying so much when I haven’t even been happy with him. I should want this; it should be easier. Why does everything feel so bad?”

 

Maru’s voice was soft. “It’s okay to grieve what you used to have, even if it’s been gone for a while. I think you were still hopeful, at least for a little bit, and now you’re letting go of that, too.”

 

Summer continued to cry. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she finally stopped, but Maru still sat patiently by her side. Summer wasn’t sure why she hadn’t shared her relationship troubles with her friend previously; Maru would have listened, and Summer wouldn’t have had to feel so alone. So... why didn’t she?  
  


Summer tried to be honest with herself — she had been afraid. Afraid of judgement, afraid of gossip, afraid of having a bad reputation in such a small town. But she should have known better. Even if she still sometimes felt like the outsider in Pelican Town, she had people that loved her. Maru would have been there for her, no questions asked. Penny would do the same. Summer sighed. She definitely didn’t deserve such good friends.

 

The pair shared a comfortable silence for a while before Summer finally spoke again. “Everyone always talks about falling in love, but no one ever talks about falling out of it.”

 

Maru offered her an understanding smile, but the girl was without words.

 

“It’s really hard.” Summer’s voice was so soft, her words were nearly whispered.

 

She briefly wondered if her friend had ever been in love before, or had ever really even dated.

 

“I can only imagine.” The small smile returned to Maru’s face, but this time it was much more confident. “But I can promise that I will be here for you the whole time, no matter what happens. You’re my best friend and if I know anything about you, it’s that you always end up just fine.”

 

Summer trusted Maru with her heart, her life, and despite all of her friend’s irrational agricultural fears, she even would have trusted her with her crops. If Maru said that she would be okay, then she would be okay.

 

————

 

After her heart-to-heart with Maru, Summer found that she had rightly judged her fears — she was growing more concerned about what the town would think of her than the actual event of breaking up with her boyfriend. She had tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, holding out hope for just a few more days to see if things would be different this time. But of course, she should have known better. She hadn’t heard much at all from Sam, and she was almost beginning to wonder if he was ready to break it off himself. At this point, it felt like she was just biding her time.

 

It was nearly a week into fall. The summer crops had returned to the earth, the leaves were turning shades of orange and yellow, and with each gust the winds grew colder. The season had changed, and she was ready for change, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I promise I’m still working on this! I’ve had a lot of projects on my plate lately in addition to having the big sad, so updates have been/will likely be a bit slow. But I’m still here, dammit, and you can always feel free to poke me in the meantime on Twitter @rosewaterwinter!


	9. Chapter 9

When the weekend arrived, Summer knew that she had no time left to bide. It had more than a few days since she had last seen Sam, and she was feeling more and more tense. She wondered if he felt the same; whether or not he did, it was unlikely that he’d ever mention it. If she waited much longer he’d show up to hang out again just like normal, and they would fall back into their regular routine. Summer had long decided that she didn’t want that anymore, but it still didn’t make things feel any easier.

 

There would never be a good time, but there would definitely be worse times, and putting things off further would almost certainly lead directly to them. With no excuses left to give, Summer met Sam outside of his house that Saturday morning.

 

She had trouble looking him in the eyes, and even a harder time trying to speak. For the first time, ironically enough, Sam seemed to get the hint that this wasn’t just a usual visit. He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder, then withdrew it suddenly.

 

“Summer, it’s okay.”

 

She looked at him abruptly, confusion twisting on her face. “How can you just say that? Do you even know what’s going on?”

 

Sam looked guilty. “Not exactly, but you look like you’re ready to beat yourself up. You’re always too hard on yourself.”

 

Without warning, tears started streaming down Summer’s face. The last thing she deserved was any sort of kindness from him. She shook her head, and a snotty, sudden laugh escaped her.

 

“I know you’re right, and thank you. But it’s… it’s not okay this time. Nothing is okay.”

 

He studied her some more, appearing slightly perplexed. “Is this about the last few days? I didn’t really message you or anything ‘cause I figured you’d be busy with the new season and all.”

 

The tears were still flowing, but Summer finally found her voice and her words started tumbling out all at once. “Sam, I passed out cold in the middle of my fields from overexertion. That was on Monday. It’s Saturday, and I’m just now seeing you. You’re my boyfriend. Do you not see a problem here?”

 

Sam stuttered. “I just thought that you would be too busy with everything that was going on to see me.”

 

“Did you ask me, Sam?”

 

The boy was silent.

 

“How could you know that if you didn’t even ask?”

 

Still, there were no words from Sam.

 

“That’s just it, though; you never ask. You never ask me what I want. You always just assume you know, and you don’t. You haven’t known for a long time.”

 

There was a long pause before Sam finally spoke.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said.

 

Summer knew he meant it. Sam was always sincere, if nothing else. But those two words he gave her were far from enough. They could never be enough; ‘I’m sorry’ was an apology, but it wasn’t an offer for change, for compromise, or for any sort of growth. Sam was who he was, and that was all.

 

She took a deep, trembling breath. “I know. I know you are, but I can’t…”

 

Her voice broke on her own words, and she looked up at Sam. She wished he would just understand. If he understood her, she wouldn’t have to say it and everything could be easier. She searched his eyes for an indication of something, anything, but was met with a blankness that was impossible to place.

 

“Sam, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do it, and I’m so, so sorry.”

 

His expression remained unreadable.

 

“I didn’t want this to happen, but this isn’t what I want. I know you care about me, but I don’t feel like I’m special to you.” She paused, hoping for an interjection from Sam, but continued when he offered nothing. “I’m just a part of your daily routine, and nothing ever seems to change that, whether it’s our anniversary or I end up getting injured. Everything always stays the same. Maybe some people are okay with that, but I’m not.”

 

Sam just nodded. “Alright.”

 

His voice was soft when he said the word, but that was it. There was no fighting, no promises to try and do better. Summer wasn’t sure if that made things easier or harder, but then again, what had she really expected? The thought was wry in her mind, and she tried to use her own internal sarcasm to mask the pain of her very last bit of hope dying off. She hadn’t even known that she was still holding on, but now that it was gone she was hit with a heavy, hollow feeling.

 

She swallowed, and nodded back. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

 

“I’m sorry, too.” He looked at her one last time, then turned to head back inside.

 

Summer was left standing with an emptiness in her chest and not much else. It was really over, just like that.

 

This was what she wanted, wasn’t it?

 

She reached up, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. Huh.

 

She hadn’t realized she was still crying.

 

———

 

Summer was single. She had broken up with Sam, just like she wanted to. She was free to grow and change on her own, free to break routine, free to make whatever she wanted out of her life without being held back by a person who never changed.

 

Here she was, on her own for the first time in the last year.

 

And she had no idea what to do.

 

What did a person even do immediately after a breakup, anyway?

 

She thought back to the ends of some of her previous relationships; sometimes there was a lot of crying, sometimes there was going out with friends. Neither of those options really felt right, considering it was barely 11 AM.

 

She could go back to her farm, though all her work was done for the day. She briefly considered heading to the mines, but her body still hadn’t fully recovered from her previous incident.

 

She wanted to be alone, but anywhere but home. The beach wasn’t far from here, but…

 

Summer chewed the inside of her lip as she briefly considered if the place would be too tainted by her all-too-recent memories of the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. As she weighed the option, she heard a door open from not far behind her. Not a moment later, Jodi’s voice rang out as she announced to her household that she was going to the store. Well, that was one way to make that decision for her.

 

Summer scurried off towards the beach, not once looking behind her.


End file.
